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PCB contamination in soils of the Pearl River Delta, South China: levels, sources, and potential risks

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Abstract

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contamination in tropical and sub-tropical areas and the associated risks have attracted great concern. A total of 69 samples representing five distinct land types were collected to assess PCB concentrations in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), South China, including spatial distributions in soils of the area, the probable anthropogenic sources, and related potential risks. PCBs concentrations in soils of the PRD ranged from 0.3 to 202 ng g−1. More severe PCBs contamination was presented in the western part than in the eastern part of the PRD region. The PCBs were dominated by low-chlorinated biphenyls; however, the proportion of higher-chlorinated biphenyls was elevated with the influence of industrial activities. Principal component analysis indicated that PCBs contamination in soils of the PRD region was mainly associated with 1#PCBs, while 2#PCB and e-waste emission in South China also accounted for it partly, especially to the industrial activity severely impacted areas. Toxic equivalent (TEQ) of the dioxin-like PCBs in the soils indicated that higher risk of PCB contamination was presented in the Dongjiang River Valley (55 ng TEQ kg−1, on average) than in the Xijiang River Valley, and were mostly contributed by the congener of PCB126.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the financial support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40901152), R&D Special Fund for Public Welfare Industry (Environment) (201109018-4); Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 Program; No. 2002CB410810). We appreciate all the participants who collected the soil samples. We are grateful to Dr. Richard H. Loeppert in Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA, for his constructive comments and language modification. Appreciations are also given to two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264003, China

    Haibo Zhang & Yongming Luo

  2. Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Haibo Zhang, Yongming Luo & Ying Teng

  3. Guangdong Institute of Eco-environment and Soil Science, Guangzhou, 510650, China

    Hongfu Wan

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  1. Haibo Zhang
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  2. Yongming Luo
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  3. Ying Teng
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  4. Hongfu Wan
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Correspondence to Yongming Luo.

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Responsible editor: Leif Kronberg

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Zhang, H., Luo, Y., Teng, Y. et al. PCB contamination in soils of the Pearl River Delta, South China: levels, sources, and potential risks. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 5150–5159 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1488-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1488-1

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